A New Wearable Takes Sun Care Beyond SPF
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The Trend: Tanning may be back in fashion, but so is tracking your UV exposure. The latest example is The90’s “The Gem,” a necklace with a pendant that measures UVA and UVB rays in real time and sends the data to an app on your phone. Unlike the UV index in your weather app, which gives a broad estimate for an entire area, The90 claims to show the sun exposure you’re actually getting, whether you’re outside, driving, or sitting near a sunny window. The device launched this month and is currently available for preorder, with prices starting around $199.
What People Are Saying: The appeal lies in personalized reminders to reapply sunscreen, seek shade, or cover up based on your skin type and real-world exposure. Supporters see it as the next step in preventative skin care and healthy aging. Skeptics, meanwhile, wonder whether people need yet another (expensive) wearable — or if it’s simply giving health-conscious consumers another metric to obsess over.
What to Know: The90 isn’t the first UV-tracking device — L’Oréal’s My UV Patch helped pioneer the category years ago — but it may be the most consumer-friendly version yet. Whether UV wearables become the next smartwatch or remain a niche beauty gadget, they reflect an ever-growing trend: turning everyday health habits into measurable data.
